I like the Dion Lewis signing. He’s a good back, and they got him at a nice price -- $20 million for four years, with $11.5 million guaranteed.
Lewis to me looks like a player who’s smart and well coached. I guess that’s a credit to New England’s coaching staff, because the Eagles, Colts and Browns in recent years gave up on Lewis, a former fifth-round pick who came out of Pitt as a poor man’s LeSean McCoy.
At 5-foot-8 and 195 pounds, Lewis is a little on the small side, but his lateral quickness is about as good as anybody’s. And he can be hard to get on the ground. I recall a couple of plays last year he took good hits but was able to avoid going down, squirting forward for additional yards.
Lewis was the only running back in the league last year with at least 200 touches and no fumbles.
He’s also really good in the passing game. Tom Brady last year went 32 of 35 when passing for Lewis. That’s 91 percent, the highest completion rate for any running back (with at least 30 targets) in the last four years. (If you go back to 2013, Pierre Thomas edges ahead of him.).
As a small, elusive back with good hands, Lewis looks like a nice fit with Derrick Henry, a pounding back who’s listed at 247 pounds. Should be a nice one-two punch that’s able to give defenses different looks.
| RUNNING BACKS CATCHING 80 PERCENT OF TARGETS | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Tgt | Rec | Yards | Avg | Pct |
| 2017 | Dion Lewis, N.E. | 35 | 32 | 214 | 6.7 | 91.4% |
| 2014 | Roy Helu, Wash. | 47 | 42 | 477 | 11.4 | 89.4% |
| 2015 | Melvin Gordon, S.D. | 37 | 33 | 192 | 5.8 | 89.2% |
| 2014 | DeMarco Murray, Dall. | 64 | 57 | 416 | 7.3 | 89.1% |
| 2017 | Joe Mixon, Cin. | 34 | 30 | 287 | 9.6 | 88.2% |
| 2016 | LeSean McCoy, Buff. | 57 | 50 | 356 | 7.1 | 87.7% |
| 2015 | DeAngelo Williams, Pitt. | 47 | 40 | 367 | 9.2 | 85.1% |
| 2017 | Danny Woodhead, Balt. | 39 | 33 | 200 | 6.1 | 84.6% |
| 2014 | Jeremy Hill, Cin. | 32 | 27 | 215 | 8.0 | 84.4% |
| 2016 | Matt Asiata, Minn. | 38 | 32 | 263 | 8.2 | 84.2% |
| 2017 | Kareem Hunt, K.C. | 63 | 53 | 455 | 8.6 | 84.1% |
| 2015 | Jonathan Grimes, Hou. | 31 | 26 | 173 | 6.7 | 83.9% |
| 2017 | Rex Burkhead, N.E. | 36 | 30 | 254 | 8.5 | 83.3% |
| 2016 | Rashad Jennings, NYG | 42 | 35 | 201 | 5.7 | 83.3% |
| 2015 | Mark Ingram, N.O. | 60 | 50 | 405 | 8.1 | 83.3% |
| 2015 | Adrian Peterson, Minn. | 36 | 30 | 222 | 7.4 | 83.3% |
| 2014 | Benny Cunningham, St.L. | 54 | 45 | 352 | 7.8 | 83.3% |
| 2016 | Devonta Freeman, Atl. | 65 | 54 | 462 | 8.6 | 83.1% |
| 2017 | Shane Vereen, NYG | 53 | 44 | 253 | 5.8 | 83.0% |
| 2017 | DeMarco Murray, Tenn. | 47 | 39 | 266 | 6.8 | 83.0% |
| 2015 | Lamar Miller, Mia. | 57 | 47 | 397 | 8.4 | 82.5% |
| 2015 | Duke Johnson, Clev. | 74 | 61 | 534 | 8.8 | 82.4% |
| 2016 | Charcandrick West, K.C. | 34 | 28 | 188 | 6.7 | 82.4% |
| 2017 | Matt Forte, NYJ | 45 | 37 | 293 | 7.9 | 82.2% |
| 2016 | Ezekiel Elliott, Dall. | 39 | 32 | 363 | 11.3 | 82.1% |
| 2016 | Carlos Hyde, S.F. | 33 | 27 | 163 | 6.0 | 81.8% |
| 2014 | Pierre Thomas, N.O. | 55 | 45 | 378 | 8.4 | 81.8% |
| 2017 | Mark Ingram, N.O. | 71 | 58 | 416 | 7.2 | 81.7% |
| 2016 | Jerick McKinnon, Minn. | 53 | 43 | 255 | 5.9 | 81.1% |
| 2015 | James Starks, G.B. | 53 | 43 | 392 | 9.1 | 81.1% |
| 2015 | Chris Ivory, NYJ | 37 | 30 | 217 | 7.2 | 81.1% |
| 2015 | Marcel Reece, Oak. | 37 | 30 | 269 | 9.0 | 81.1% |
| 2017 | Alvin Kamara, N.O. | 100 | 81 | 826 | 10.2 | 81.0% |
| 2016 | Frank Gore, Ind. | 47 | 38 | 277 | 7.3 | 80.9% |
| 2015 | Theo Riddick, Det. | 99 | 80 | 697 | 8.7 | 80.8% |
| 2014 | Jonathan Stewart, Car. | 31 | 25 | 181 | 7.2 | 80.6% |
| 2014 | Mark Ingram, N.O. | 36 | 29 | 145 | 5.0 | 80.6% |
| 2017 | LeVeon Bell, Pitt. | 106 | 85 | 655 | 7.7 | 80.2% |
| 2017 | Lamar Miller, Hou. | 45 | 36 | 327 | 9.1 | 80.0% |
| 2015 | DeMarco Murray, Phil. | 55 | 44 | 322 | 7.3 | 80.0% |
| 2014 | Branden Oliver, S.D. | 45 | 36 | 271 | 7.5 | 80.0% |
—Ian Allan